AFCON holders Ivory Coast given €600k budget boost for 2017 challenge
By Samindra Kunti
January 6 – Defending champions Ivory Coast have been given a financial boost ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon.
World Football
Boston Breakers get three first round picks as NWSL prepares 2017 college draft
January 5 – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has released a list of 148 college players for its 2017 NWSL College Draft which will take place at the same time as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention in Los Angeles on January 12.
Somalia launches regional league as national plan takes shape
January 4 – The Somali Football Federation has inaugurated its first ever regional football league in the port city of Kismayo, about 500 kilometers south of the capital Mogadishu.
Villar still riding his Spanish corruption storm with elections now likely in April
By Paul Nicholson
January 3 – The postponed elections for the presidency of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) now look set to take place in April after reports that controversial current president Angel Maria Villar has found common ground in disputes with the Spanish sports ministry and its new Secretary of State for Sports, Jose Ramon Lete.
CBF chases $100m legacy money but FIFA refuses to hand it over
By Samindra Kunti
January 3 – The Brazilian Football Confederation, the CBF, wants to rekindle their relationship with FIFA, because the governing body still owe the confederation $100 million from the 2014 World Cup legacy fund, but the presence of CBF president Marco Polo Del Nero is proving to be an obstacle.
AEK and Panathinaikos owners refuse to meet their player and coach debts
By Lefteris Charalampopoulos
December 29 – They claim to be extremely wealthy. They are owners of football clubs and controversial businessmen. Dimitris Melissanidis, owner of AEK Athens, and Giannis Alafouzos (pictured) of Panathinaikos, have money but they have failed to meet their payment obligations to their players and coaches.
Nigeria mixes politics and football again as Pinnick’s push for CAF is unseated
December 28 – Nigerian football’s internal wranglings have come to the fore again following reports that the candidature of federation president Amaju Pinnick (pictured), for a seat on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee may be under threat.
Bahamas warms-up for Beach Soccer World Cup with CONCACAF qualifiers
December 28 – The warm-up for the Beach Soccer World Cup in the Bahamas in 2017 starts with the 2017 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship February 20-26 which will qualify two teams for the World Cup.
Barca discover America and explore launch of a pro-women’s team
December 23 – FC Barcelona, part of a multi-pronged Spanish football assault force on the commercial opportunities provided by the US market, have said they are looking to set up a professional women’s team in the country and are in discussion with the US Soccer Federation (USSF) to do so.
James Dostoyevsky: ‘Teneo ergo sum’ – Merry Christmas, then
2016 was a remarkable year. In football, it saw an entire generation of administrators dragged before the courts. Sorry: before a US court in Brooklyn. After all, the US is the final authority on matters of the law… The woman who set out to become the “Slayer of FIFA” (her own words), suddenly found herself in a bit of a bind when she met with Bill Clinton on a private jet to discuss grandchildren – absolutely not Bill’s wife’s issues with the DOJ,
CBF triples Copa do Brasil prize fund as Globo signs new TV deal
By Samindra Kunti
December 22 – The Brazilian FA and TV Globo have extended their broadcast partnership for the Brazilian cup, the Copa do Brazil, from 2018 to 2022, the much of he new deal money being used to reinvigorate the competitiveness of the championship. The winner of the competition will earn €14.35 million in prize money.
Panathanaikos owner Alafouzos handed year jail sentence by Piraeus court
December 22 – Panathanaikos chairman Giannis Alafouzos, a bitter and vocal opponent of Olympiakos owner Vaggellis Marinakis, has this week been sentenced to a year in jail for violating Greece’s Privacy Act.
Cameroon loses 7 players for AFCON as they opt to stay at European clubs
December 21 – In what has all the hallmarks of a classic club versus country dispute, seven Cameroon players say they are shunning the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on January 14.
CONCACAF thinks bigger and expands venues for 2017 Gold Cup in US
By Paul Nicholson
December 20 – The Gold Cup 2017, CONCACAF’s top event for national teams, will be played in a total of 14 stadiums in 13 metropolitan areas, four of them first-time hosts, as the confederation expands the competition to support emerging football markets in the US.
FIFA halts grant money as Nigerian minister calls for audit over ‘missing’ $802K
December 20 – Nigeria’s sports minister has called for a “reputable audit” of the national FA, constantly embroiled in financial troubles, over claims of irregularities in the use of FIFA grants.